Puna man charged in connection with two incidents involving burglary, theft in Kūkiʻo

A 31-year-old Puna man faces burglary and theft charges in connection with two incidents this past weekend in Kūkiʻo involving a stolen watch from a residence and lifted cellphone.

Taja Daquan Peralta is charged with:

• First-degree burglary.
• Two counts of second-degree theft.

Peralta made his initial appearance Dec. 9 in Kona District Court, during which — despite prosecutors’ objections — his bail was reduced from $140,000 to $10,000. He also was ordered to appear Dec. 10 for a preliminary hearing in the case.

First-degree burglary is a Class B felony that carries a penalty, if convicted, of either 10 years in prison or 4 years probation and up to 18 months in jail. Second-degree theft is a Class C felony punishable by either a 5-year prison sentence or 4 years probation and up to 12 months in jail.

Hawai‘i County prosecutor’s office reports that the charges against Peralta stem from two Dec. 7 incidents.

One involved the burglary of a Holo Kula Place residence and theft of a Laarvee brand watch. The other was the theft of an iPhone Pro Max cellphone removed from a golf cart parked along Kūkiʻo Nui Drive.

The felony investigation was led by Hawai‘i Police Department Kona Patrol Officer Gerardo Ibarra. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Hawai‘i County Prosecuting Attorney Kate Perazich.